⁴⁶ Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite^(A) women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land,^(B) from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.”^(C)

28 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed^(D) him. Then he commanded him: “Do not marry a Canaanite woman.^{(E) 2} Go at once to Paddan Aram,^[a](F) to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel.^(G) Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.^{(H) 3} May God Almighty^[b](I) bless^(J) you and make you fruitful^(K) and increase your numbers^(L) until you become a community of peoples. ⁴ May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham,^(M) so that you may take possession of the land^(N) where you now reside as a foreigner,^(O) the land God gave to Abraham.”

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

¹⁰ Jacob left Beersheba^(A) and set out for Harran.^{(B) 11} When he reached a certain place,^(C) he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head^(D) and lay down to sleep. ¹² He had a dream^(E) in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.^{(F) 13} There above it^[a] stood the Lord,^(G) and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.^(H) I will give you and your descendants the land^(I) on which you are lying.^{(J) 14} Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you^(K) will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south.^(L) All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.^{[b](M) 15} I am with you^(N) and will watch over you^(O) wherever you go,^(P) and I will bring you back to this land.^(Q) I will not leave you^(R) until I have done what I have promised you.^(S)”^(T)

¹⁶ When Jacob awoke from his sleep,^(U) he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” ¹⁷ He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place!^(V) This is none other than the house of God;^(W) this is the gate of heaven.”

¹⁸ Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head^(X) and set it up as a pillar^(Y) and poured oil on top of it.^{(Z) 19} He called that place Bethel,^[c](AA) though the city used to be called Luz.^(AB)

²⁰ Then Jacob made a vow,^(AC) saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me^(AD) on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear^{(AE) 21} so that I return safely^(AF) to my father’s household,^(AG) then the Lord^[d] will be my God^{(AH) 22} and^[e] this stone that I have set up as a pillar^(AI) will be God’s house,^(AJ) and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.^(AK)”

Psalm 88^[a]

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth.^[b] A maskil^[c] of Heman the Ezrahite.

Submission to Governing Authorities

13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities,^(A) for there is no authority except that which God has established.^(B) The authorities that exist have been established by God. ² Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted,^(C) and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. ³ For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.^{(D) 4} For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.^{(E) 5} Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.^(F)

⁶ This is also why you pay taxes,^(G) for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. ⁷ Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes;^(H) if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Love Fulfills the Law

⁸ Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.^{(I) 9} The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”^[a](J) and whatever other command there may be, are summed up^(K) in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”^{[b](L) 10} Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.^(M)

The Day Is Near

¹¹ And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come^(N) for you to wake up from your slumber,^(O) because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.^(P) So let us put aside the deeds of darkness^(Q) and put on the armor^(R) of light. ¹³ Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness,^(S) not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.^{(T) 14} Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ,^(U) and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.^[c](V)

³³ They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants^(A) and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

³⁴ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.^{(B) 35} Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.^{(C) 36} So if the Son sets you free,^(D) you will be free indeed. ³⁷ I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me,^(E) because you have no room for my word. ³⁸ I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence,^(F) and you are doing what you have heard from your father.^[a]”^(G)

³⁹ “Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you were Abraham’s children,”^(H) said Jesus, “then you would^[b] do what Abraham did. ⁴⁰ As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me,^(I) a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.^(J) Abraham did not do such things. ⁴¹ You are doing the works of your own father.”^(K)

“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”^(L)

⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,^(M) for I have come here from God.^(N) I have not come on my own;^(O) God sent me.^{(P) 43} Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. ⁴⁴ You belong to your father, the devil,^(Q) and you want to carry out your father’s desires.^(R) He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.^{(S) 45} Yet because I tell the truth,^(T) you do not believe me! ⁴⁶ Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? ⁴⁷ Whoever belongs to God hears what God says.^(U) The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”